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Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals-Rockies 'Hat Gate' Takes Another Turn, Including Hunter Goodman Denial

The St. Louis Cardinals came to the rookie's defense, to say the least.
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Hancel Rincon (66) in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Sep 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Hancel Rincon (66) in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals didn't come out on top on Saturday over the Colorado Rockies, but there was some positivity for the organization.

On Friday, the Cardinals and Rockies kicked off the three-game series with St. Louis coming out on top, 7-6. That wasn't the biggest story of the day, though. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was ejected after coming to the defense of rookie pitcher Hancel Rincón. The righty took the hill for his big league debut, but umpire Doug Eddings caught the attention of the baseball world by making a stink about how Rincón's hat was tilted. Eddings told him to fix it and it triggered the drama that got Marmol ejected.

After the game, Marmol called it "pretty embarrassing" on the umpire's part.

On Saturday, the club certainly came to the rookie's defense and showed support. They came up with a new celebration on the basepaths.

Plus, players were wearing their hats tilted all throughout the day.

A Wild Few Days

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Hancel Rincon
Sep 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Hancel Rincon (66) pitches in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was the case in the dugout as well and the broadcast even insinuated that the Rockies did the same.

It may not sound like much, but this arguably is very positive. Rincón is just 24 years old. He was promoted to the majors to kick off September and made his big league debut on Saturday. That's certainly not easy. Making the jump from the minors to the majors is never and comes with growing pains. While the Cardinals may not have won on Saturday, the entire team showed that they're behind the rookie and support him.

Even Eddings spoke to Rincón on Saturday as well.

One thing that stood out on Saturday as well was the fact that Rockies All-Star Hunter Goodman denied complaining about the hat. When Eddings spoke to the media in the aftermath, he insinuated that Goodman complained about Rincón's hat, which then triggered things. Goodman denied that, as transcribed by MLB.com's Thomas Harding.

“I never once mentioned the hat,” Goodman said. “It doesn’t matter who’s pitching. I don’t care how they wear the hat. I’m trying to find out where the ball is coming out, and I’m trying to worry about what I’m doing in the box. I’m not worried about how his hat looks. It was one of those situations — it’s kind of a wild, wild thing that happens in the game. But I didn’t like seeing that my name was a part of it today when I didn’t say anything like that."

It was a weird situation, to say the least, that should've never happened. The rookie's hat doesn't impact the game. It shouldn't have been a story from the beginning, but it turned into one. The Cardinals certainly took it as an opportunity to show their support for the young hurler. Plus, the Springfield Cardinals got a new promotion out of it.

Alls well that ends well.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick received an MBA at Brandeis University. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding St. Louis Cardinals On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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